Romanian has full, or stressed, forms for object pronouns. Use them when you need contrast, emphasis, or a short answer: Mă vede pe mine, nu pe tine. (He or she sees me, not you.) The short form mă stays with the verb; the full form pe mine carries the contrast.
What are the full object-pronoun forms?
For a full direct object referring to a person, use pe plus the accusative form; for a full indirect object, use the dative form without pe.
| Person | Full direct object | Full indirect object | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person singular | pe mine | mie | me / to me |
| 2nd person singular | pe tine | ție | you / to you |
| 3rd person masculine singular | pe el | lui | him / to him |
| 3rd person feminine singular | pe ea | ei | her / to her |
| 1st person plural | pe noi | nouă | us / to us |
| 2nd person plural | pe voi | vouă | you / to you |
| 3rd person masculine or mixed plural | pe ei | lor | them / to them |
| 3rd person feminine plural | pe ele | lor | them / to them |
The forms lui and ei distinguish masculine and feminine in the third-person singular dative. The plural dative form is lor for both masculine or mixed groups and feminine groups. The accusative forms distinguish pe ei from pe ele.
How do you choose direct or indirect?
Ask pe cine? or ce? for the direct object, and cui? (to whom?) for the indirect object.
| Role | Question | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct object | pe cine? (whom?) | Mă caută pe mine. | He or she is looking for me. |
| Direct object | pe cine? (whom?) | O văd pe ea. | I see her. |
| Indirect object | cui? (to whom?) | Îmi scrie mie. | He or she writes to me. |
| Indirect object | cui? (to whom?) | Îi dau lui cartea. | I give him the book. |
In the direct-object examples, pe marks a person as the direct object. It is not the same as the preposition pe meaning “on.” For other prepositional meanings, the full accusative form follows the preposition: pentru mine (for me), cu tine (with you), lângă ea (next to her). See the direct-object marker pe for the wider choice of pe with noun objects.
How do full forms combine with a verb?
When a full personal pronoun is the direct or indirect object selected by a verb, it normally appears together with its matching unstressed form, or clitic, next to the verb. The full form adds contrast or focus; the clitic supplies the regular object link.
| Object | Neutral clause with clitic and full form | English |
|---|---|---|
| Direct, 1st person singular | Mă vede pe mine. | He or she sees me. |
| Direct, 3rd person masculine singular | Îl invit pe el. | I invite him. |
| Direct, 3rd person feminine plural | Le așteptăm pe ele. | We are waiting for them. |
| Indirect, 2nd person singular | Îți explic ție regula. | I explain the rule to you. |
| Indirect, 3rd person masculine singular | Îi dau lui cartea. | I give him the book. |
| Indirect, 3rd person plural | Le spun lor adevărul. | I tell them the truth. |
- The accusative clitic is mă, te, îl, o, ne, vă, îi, or le. In a present-tense example such as Mă vede pe mine, it comes before the verb.
- The dative clitic is îmi, îți, îi, ne, vă, or le. In a present-tense example such as Îmi scrie mie, it also comes before the verb.
- With the compound past, the clitic comes before the auxiliary: M-a văzut pe mine. (He or she saw me.) and Mi-a răspuns mie. (He or she answered me.)
- The full form usually follows the verb in a neutral sentence. It can move to the front for stronger contrast: Pe mine m-a văzut, nu pe tine. (He or she saw me, not you.)
When can the full form stand alone?
A full form can stand alone in an isolated answer or a fragment, especially after a question. This is why Pe mine! and Mie! are complete answers even though a full clause normally has a clitic.
| Question | Short answer | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pe cine aștepți? | Pe mine. | Whom are you waiting for? Me. |
| Pe cine invită Ana? | Pe el. | Whom does Ana invite? Him. |
| Cui îi dai cheia? | Mie. | To whom are you giving the key? To me. |
| Cui le dai cărțile? | Lor. | To whom are you giving the books? To them. |
What should you use for contrast and emphasis?
Use the full form when the listener needs to know exactly which person is involved, when you correct a choice, or when you repeat the object for emphasis. The full form is not automatically dramatic or informal: it is the normal way to make the object explicit in these contexts.
- Contrast two direct objects: Mă sună pe mine, nu pe el. (He or she calls me, not him.)
- Contrast two indirect objects: Îmi trimite mie mesajul, nu ei. (He or she sends me the message, not her.)
- Clarify a reference: Pe ele le caut. (I am looking for them, the women or girls.)
- Repeat an answer for emphasis: Ție îți spun. (I am telling you.)
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not use pe with a dative form: say îmi dă mie (he or she gives to me), not pe mie.
- For an emphatic human direct object in a complete clause, do not leave out the clitic: use Mă vede pe mine, not the ordinary pattern Vede pe mine.
- Do not confuse pe ei (direct object, masculine or mixed group) with lor (indirect object, any gender group).
- Do not use lui for a feminine singular indirect object: use ei, as in Îi răspund ei. (I answer her.)
- Do not assume that a full form always replaces a clitic. Full forms can stand alone in short answers, but complete emphatic clauses normally contain both forms.
Which full accusative phrase means “them” for an all-female group?
- lor
- pe ele
- pe ei
- ei
Pe ele is the full accusative form for a feminine third-person plural group. Pe ei is masculine or mixed plural, while lor is the full dative form.
Complete the contrast: Îți dau ___ cartea, nu lui. (I give you the book, not him.)
- pe tine
- lui
- pe voi
- ție
The recipient is an indirect object, so the full dative form is ție. The matching clitic is îți in the complete sentence; pe tine is accusative.
Which sentence uses the ordinary emphatic pattern for a human direct object?
- Mă vede pe mine, nu pe tine. (He or she sees me, not you.)
- Vede pe mine, nu pe tine. (He or she sees me, not you.)
- Îmi vede pe mine, nu pe tine. (He or she sees me, not you.)
- Mă vede pe mine, nu lui. (He or she sees me, not to him.)
A complete emphatic clause uses the accusative clitic mă together with pe mine. The other choices omit the required clitic, use the wrong clitic case, or compare a direct object with a dative form.
What does Mie mi-a răspuns, nu ei. mean?
- He or she saw me, not her.
- He or she gave me the book, not her.
- He or she answered me, not her.
- He or she called me, not her.
Mie is the full dative form “to me,” and mi-a răspuns means “answered me.” Ei is the feminine singular dative form “to her.”
Which statement is correct?
- A full direct object referring to a person normally uses pe and a matching clitic.
- A full dative object normally begins with pe.
- Full forms always replace clitics in complete clauses.
- The dative forms lui and ei agree with the gender of the thing received.
The standard emphatic pattern is Mă vede pe mine or Îl invit pe el: the clitic stays with the verb and pe introduces the full human direct object. Dative lui and ei refer to the recipient, not to the gender of the item received.